Proof of Concept
by RiddleKitty
Summary: Otto Octavius and Adrian Toomes discuss a business proposition.


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from the show.

God, I wish there were more seasons. No, really. It hurts thinking about what could have been. And what now will never be. ;_;

(Well, aside from fan fiction.)

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**Proof of Concept**

Otto Octavius lifted a slightly sweaty palm to his face, pushing the glasses back up the bridge of his nose with a finger. Standing off to one side, behind a thick strip of yellow tape on the concrete that squared off the test area, he silently and somewhat nervously watched his long time friend, Adrian Toomes, slip the complex flight harness over his narrow shoulders. Piece by fascinating piece, Toomes attached the suit's accessory parts to his person, all while wearing a grin that would put Wonderland's Cheshire Cat to shame. Otto couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of that bold display of self-assurance.

"After all these years, Otto, truly this is my greatest accomplishment."

Adrian turned to face his lone audience member as he placed the last pieces of the flight suit onto his head and temples.

Instinctively, yet against his inner will, Otto took a step back as the device on Adrian's back began to hum to life. The hum became an eerie and low mechanical whine. Adrian looked not unlike a child on Christmas morning with a new toy. But this was no mere toy. It could be revolutionary if it did what Adrian had boasted to him about for so many months.

"Behold!"

Adrian, ever a flair for the dramatic.

With arms out, head held high and a wide smirk on his thin lips, the lanky man began defying gravity before Otto's widening eyes.

"My-my goodness," Otto blurted, reaching up to make sure the glasses were still attached to his face.

Now hanging nine feet in mid-air, Adrian said, "I give you, the Toomes magnetic air transport system!" He burst into satisfied laughter, hands on hips.

Below him, Otto resisted the urge to back away further. There was something both awe-inspiring and incredibly unsettling about a flying man. Well, hovering for the most part. The effect was the same. Commanding. _Powerful_. He planted his feet firmly on the concrete, allowing wonder and admiration to overpower fear and uncertainty.

"So, what do you think?"

Otto gripped the side of his glasses and adjusted them, blinking. "Adrian, it's... it's incredible!"

"Isn't it, though? Oh! I almost forgot." Adrian once again lifted his arms to the sides. Within the blink of an eye, long, thin protrusions sprouted from the back of the harness. They fanned out along both Adrian's arms, resembling bird wings, appropriately enough. "With these, maneuvering is a cinch."

In demonstration, Adrian raised both arms and shot up into the air so suddenly it startled Otto out of his jumbled thoughts.

"Oh my! Adrian, do you think you should be up that high? Wi-wi-without some kind of... safety net?" Otto said, flinching as Adrian swooped and soared overhead, much like a huge bird of prey.

"Nonsense," Adrian said, descending as quickly as he'd lifted off. He landed with an unexpected grace in front of Otto. "I worked far too long on this to have it fail on me!" He smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Otto's shoulder. "Joking aside, I did spent a significant amount of time on the device's safety capabilities, Otto. Believe me, I'm not so young as to take on inappropriate risks anymore." The suit's wings folded and retracted. "Though sometimes I wish I were."

Otto nodded as Adrian removed the control headpiece. After looking it over in his hands for a moment, he sighed heavily, prompting a concerned look from Otto.

"Are you quite certain I'll have a buyer in Norman Osborn?" Adrian scrutinized his old friend. "I don't exactly have a lot of time to sit around and wait for considerations."

"Absolutely," Otto said with so little hesitation that it startled him. He put on a timid smile—a smile Adrian had come to recognize all too easily. Adrian's look became highly incredulous. Otto shook his head in denial, eyes squeezed shut tight behind his thick lenses. "No, no, I am _certain_." For the first time in his life, Otto sounded positively assertive.

Suddenly Adrian wanted to believe him. His small frown changed back into a small smile. "All right then, Otto, you've convinced me. I'll take my design to Oscorp." He removed the flight harness and packed it back into its container.

Otto clasped his hands and nodded with unrestrained enthusiasm. Despite his growing jealousy, he truly wanted nothing but the best for Adrian. "I'll set up a meeting with Mr. Osborn right away." He chuckled nervously, walking alongside the taller man as they moved toward the door. "This device is going to make you a small fortune, Adrian. Er, possibly a large one."

"I certainly hope so. I've been thinking about retiring lately. And for once, it's starting to sound like a _good_ idea."

"Well, I am sure your magnetic air transport system will grant you a substantial, ah, nest egg, so to speak."

That got a smug chuckle out of Adrian.

Adrian paused outside the doorway, his finger over the wall mounted control panel. He pushed in a button. One by one, the rows of ceiling lights began to fade.

Perhaps it was the lingering exhilaration of flying but Adrian felt himself growing optimistic. "I have a feeling you're right."


End file.
